Improvement in gate-latches



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mf-ae seawee- *WW WESLEY -RED'HEAIL OF DES MOINES, IOWA. 13mm Patent-Noysaoeadmu Fama/ry A1c, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN GATE-LATCHES.

The Schedule referred in these Letters Patent and making partici' the same.

To all whom it ffm1/y concern.-

' BeitknownthatI,WnsLEYRnDHEAD,ofDesMoines,-

in the county of Polk, and Stat-e of Iowa, have invented a new and improved Gate-Fastening; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact desciiption thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingshmaking a part of this specification, in which- Y Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing themanner of applying the improved fastening to a gate-post and gate, and also to a post for holding a gate open.

Figure2 is a front view of a gate with the improved fastening applied to it.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, show moreparticularly the construction and operation of the improvediastening. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

The object ofthis invention is to construct agatefastening, for holding a gate either shut or open, which is readily applicable to almost any kind of gate,and-

which is designed to operate successfully at all times or seasons of the year, without the use of sprfings or weights.

The invention also has for its object, constructinga gate-fastening,which can be readily operated from either side of a gate, and which will prevent a gate, while shut,

' from sagging, or should a gate sag, a portion of the fast ening will raise it to its proper position. A

The nature of my invention .consists in'applying, to

a gate-post, a pivoted reversible gravitating-hook or catch, having lifting-finger extensions upon both ends also, in securing to said post, beneath the hook or catch,

a reversible plate having an inclined supporting and elevating-edge; and in Vapplying tothe gate Va reversible latching-tongue, which is adapted for being received and held by the hook or catch and inclined plate upon the gate-post, as will-be hereinafter explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In Athe accompanying drawings, iig. 1, I have represented a portion 'of a fence, a gate, I), and a holding'- back post, C, with my improved reversible fastening applied to them.

Upon the inner side of the gate-post A, or that side opposite Vthe post to which the gate is hinged, I apply a gravitating-hook, a, and just beneath this hook, and secured fast to post A, is a supporting-plate, C.

To the gate-picket B, a bracket, J, is secured, having a tongue, g, extending out from it, so that in the act of shutting the gate, and when the gate Ais shut and fastcned, this tongue will restupon the fixed plate c,and be (aught and held by the gravitating-hook a, as shown in g. 5.

The gravitating-hook a consists of a hooked or catching portion, h, a bevelled' nose, c', and finger-extensions This device is pivoted, at b, to the gate-post, so that l its hooked end will greatly preponderate, and so that it can be operated by raising one end, j, or depressing the other end. k.

The supporting-device consists of a flat plate, c, having its upper edge, d, inclined.

This device is secured fast to the gate-post, just beneath the catching-device, and in such relation thereto that its hooked nose h i will rest upon the inclined edge gravitating-hook, is'reversible, that is'to say, both devices can be applied tothe right or left-hand gate-post, or to either side thereof. i The tongue gis cast on the bracket J, so that when applied fast to the gate-picket B, as shown in the drawings, this tongue will extend out perpendicular therefrom, and be received upon the inclined edge of the supporting-plate d when the gate is shut.

This tongue g is bevelled, so that in cross-section it presents three angles, and is thus reversible, or adapted for aright or left-hand gate-post.

In adjusting the tongue upon the gate-picket, it should be so attached thereto, that when the'gate is shut, this tongue will rest upon the inclined edge of the plate c, and be caught by the hook h.

By constant use and wear, and also by the settling of the gate and its posts, the tongue g will, after a time,be more or less depressed below the plane in which' it moved when rst applied to the gate, and will strike the upper edge d, of' the plate c, before the ing the gate to be lifted beforethe tongue can pass under the nose of' the hooked catch:

The inclined edge d, ofthe plate c, it will be seen, serves as a means for raising the gate to its normal always be caught and held by the hooked catch.

It will also be seen that in the act of shutting a gate,

the hook, and -then allow the latter to drop and hold this tongue. f

I am aware that it is not new to employ inclined planes 'upon gate-posts for raising a gate' While shutting it, and supporting a gate iiom sagging when shut; and I do not lay claim to such a device broadly, and

scribed; nor do I claim, in itself considered, a gravitating-catch gate-fastening.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure byLet ters Patent, is

l. The within gate-latching contrivance, consisting of the bevelled 4reversible gravitating hooked catchpiece c and the stationary reversible bevelled or inclined supporting-plate c, arranged in the relation to one another, upon a gate-post, substantially as described. i

2. The combination of the bevelled device J g and the reversible devices a c, constructed and applied in the 'mannershown and described, for the purpose set forth.`

. WESLEY REDHEAD.

Witnesses i L. P. Snnalimls, R. T. WELLSLAGER.

d when the gate is open or shut. This device, like the gate is fully shut, as shown by red lines, iig. 5, requir-v condition while being shut, so that, when shut, it will the tongue g will raise the .catch and pass in front of irrespective of the combination of elements herein de- 

